Before I worked at my current Big Corporation, I worked at another Big Corporation seven miles up the road.  My “cube” neighbor was a lot of fun; it wasn’t my favorite job, but having a good “cube” neighbor helped.  During the course of time I spent at the Big Corporation seven miles up the road, we laughed a lot and did all the things “cube” neighbors do.  We shared a love of Eighties music and the previous Big Corporation we had both worked at fifty miles up the road.  When she was hospitalized with an emergency appendectomy, I covered her desk, visited her, and visited her dog.  She had some post-operative complications and she was sick for longer than usual; I made her some meals, including Southern Living‘s Macaroni & Cheese.  She recovered.

We’ve lost touch now; I trust she is doing well and thriving without her appendix.

Yesterday, I found out my “cube” neighbor and friend, Lee-Annie Leonie, was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy.  Lee-Annie is a little like my old “cube” neighbor from the Big Corporation seven miles up the road.  I don’t know if she likes Eighties music, but she’s good about remembering people’s birthdays, organizing baby showers, and cheering people up on a bad “cube” day.  She’s thoroughly modern, but there’s something sweet and old-fashioned about her.  She’s a good neighbor.

Truth be told, she had to move to a new “cube” neighborhood last week and I got a new “cube” neighbor who is also perfectly lovely; she’s just not Lee-Annie.  I had just sent Lee-Annie an e-mail to discuss the latest birthday party plans when I found out about the busted appendix.  I chatted with some of my other “cube” neighbors; should we send flowers?    Apparently, the appendectomy procedure is quite simple these days and she’ll probably be resting comfortably at home by the time she reads this blog post; here are some flowers that will last until she gets there.

It’s possible she will only be out of work for a few weeks.  Let’s hope so.  And let’s hope I’m not an appendix jinx.

Have you checked on your neighbors today?